Ford Roars to the Front of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

Ford’s legendary pickup trucks are earning props once again from the experts at J.D. Power – backed up by data collected for its annual Initial Quality Study. But this year, the Ford F-150 and Ford Super Duty were joined by the Ford Mustang as standouts based on data collected from the real driving experts: consumers.

What Was Measured

The J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS)™ gathered data from more than 70,000 new car buyers/lessors on their experiences after 90 days driving their new vehicles. Consumers answered 227 “Voice of the Customer” questions on 10 different categories: features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; seats; powertrain; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). J.D. Power also consulted repair data collected from new vehicle dealers. 

Ford vehicles topped Mass Market Brands with highest scores for its Sporty Car, the Ford Mustang; Large Light Duty Pickup, the Ford F-150; and Large Heavy Duty Pickup, the Ford Super Duty.

Bright Spots and Not-so-Bright Spots

Initial quality among all of the vehicles surveyed has gone up year-over-year with improvements in vehicle interior and driving assistance features leading the way. There were improvements in nine out of 10 categories. Technology continues to be a customer complaint, which Power says is largely driven by connectivity issues, specifically with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. And infotainment and touchscreens create some unwelcome distractions for drivers. 

“As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “The biggest gains in quality come from features that are easy to use—simple controls, less-intrusive driver assistance and software that works the way customers expect. When technology becomes too complicated, the likelihood of customers experiencing a problem rises considerably.”

You Know Where to Go

If a pickup truck or sporty car is in your future, the client advisors at Schomp Ford would love to help you and show you why Ford continues to be a quality leader.